


Life is Pain

by windscryer



Series: tumblr prompts [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Clint Is a Good Bro, Couch Cuddles, Gen, Natasha Is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Cuddles, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, crying!tony stark, from tumblr, my little avengers: friendship is magic, natasha is silent but cuddly, prompt!fic, the princess bride fixes everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-14
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-06-02 04:19:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6550513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windscryer/pseuds/windscryer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint is bad at feelings. Nobody will argue this. But he's pretty good at watching movies and keeping his mouth shut, so it works out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Life is Pain

“Hey, Tony, I know JARVIS said you were busy but have you seen…” Clint stopped twenty feet away from the bench Tony was hunched over. He’d thought the man was laughing at the way he’d snuck in through the vents again, but there was a tension to his back that didn’t look like humor.

Tony didn’t turn either, and even Clint’s shitty hearing could tell his nose was stuffed when he spoke.

“Whatever it is, it’s not down here.”

Clint debated turning around and walking away because Tony obviously didn’t want company, but then Tony bowed his head and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. A shudder heaved through his frame.

Clint scratched at the back of his neck and took a bracing breath. Knowing this was probably a terrible plan, he closed the distance to the workbench and ignored the way Tony hunched down further with every step.

He laid a hand on the shoulder closer to him and Tony flinched, whirling and knocking over his stool. His mouth was curled into a snarl, but his eyes were wet and red and it blunted the effect somewhat.

Clint let his hand drop, but he didn’t retreat.

“Look, we’re both kind of shit at feelings but, uh, if you wanted to… I don’t know. Talk about it? Or something?”

Tony snorted and turned away, moving things around on the workbench that didn’t need moving.

Clint shifted his weight, then blinked. “Hey, no, wait, seriously. I can even turn my ears off if you want. Then you get all the benefits of venting and none of the embarrassment of someone else knowing what’s wrong.”

Tony paused and turned to look at him. After a moment, the disbelief turned contemplative, then hesitantly hopeful.

Clint shrugged. “I don’t know. Or…” He scratched at his head again. “Or I could actually listen and try to help?”

Tony’s lips curled up in a small smile. “The walking tragedy has life advice for me?”

Clint scowled, but it wasn’t genuine. There was no point in denying he was a walking tragedy and he was just glad to hear Tony snarking again.

He shrugged instead. “Or I could go get some beer and the rest of Steve’s pizza and we could blow up shit or watch a movie or something.”

“Stealing from Captain America has to be a capital offense.”

Clint waved a hand and made a dismissive noise. “I’ve got worse on my record.”

Tony considered for a few more moments, his hands moving more purposefully and actually tidying up his tools on the workbench. “Yeah, okay.”

“Awesome. I’ll be back.” He paused at the door and pointed a finger back. “No locking me out or I’ll get Tasha to come break JARVIS.”

Tony raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

Clint still moved quickly, just in case, and was back down with a box in one hand and a six pack dangling from his other fingers in just a few short minutes. JARVIS opened the door when he approached. “Thanks, J.”

“Of course, Agent Barton.”

Tony was sitting on the couch in the corner, the TV on and a selection of movies on the screen. Clint set down the beers and went to go reheat the pizza in the microwave. “Which one is the food one again?” he asked, eyeing the two boxes.

“The black one is for science. It hides the scorch marks better.”

Clint snorted and stacked slices on a plate from the cupboard. While it cooked, he said, “Pick whatever movie sounds good to you. I’m not picky.”

He bobbled the hot plate as he came back, ignoring the sear of his fingertips as he vaulted the back of the couch, then dropped it on the table next to Tony’s feet.

“Start it, JARVIS,” Tony said. The lights dimmed as Tony reached for a slice of pizza.

Clint thought about commenting on the choice when he realized they were watching The Princes Bride, but decided not to. When you felt like shit there was no good reason to have your movie choices questioned. And there was no good reason to question The Princes Bride ever.

As an aged Peter Falk started reading to a baby Fred Savage, Tony sniffed and shifted. Clint stayed still, not wanting to spook him.

With a soft sigh, Tony slumped over onto Clint’s shoulder, licking his fingers clean of pizza grease.

Clint sipped his beer and watched the story unfold on screen. Patience was the key to getting anything out of Tony. Coercion was never successful.

And, you know, if Tony didn’t want to talk, that was really okay too.

Right around the time Westley was being tackled by an ROUS, Tony said, so softly Clint almost missed it, “Nothing even happened today. I don't…” He reached up and scrubbed at his face, then sighed again.

“Sometimes it doesn’t,” Clint said, just as quietly. “Life sucks that way.”

Tony sniffled again and Clint shifted to free his arm and wrap it around Tony’s shoulders.

Tony was almost asleep as Max wished them luck storming the castle, but startled awake when the couch on the other side of him dipped.

Clint already knew who it was so he just moved his arm so Tony could peer over and see Tasha settling into place with a bowl of popcorn in hand. She held it out without looking away from the screen.

Tony eyed it and her, then took a handful and stuffed it in his mouth. He straightened up, stretching and twisting his back a little.

That position only lasted until Buttercup found the paralyzed Westley on her bed and then Nat reached over and ran her hands through Tony’s hair, scratching at his scalp.

Clint saw Tony’s eyes slide shut. A gentle tug and the man leaned over, his head ending up on Nat’s thigh as she continued petting him and feeding him popcorn.

The four characters on screen rode off into their happily ever after as Tony snored noisily on Nat’s thigh.

Nat looked over at Clint and he shrugged and said softly, “JARVIS, can you start Wall-E?”

As the credits started, Clint reached down and pulled Tony’s legs up into his lap. Nat pulled the worn afghan off the back of the couch and together they spread it over the sleeping engineer and settled in to watch the movie.


End file.
